The Best Family Trip Ever
by dancingpixie
Summary: The Cohens hit the road for a family vacation. The 20 hours car trip opens them up to some great family communication and sing a longs until Ryan's past demons resurface. Reviews are greatly appreciated!
1. Chapter 1

_AUTHOR: Dancing Pixie_

_RATING: T_

_SUMMARY: The Cohens hit the road for a family vacation. The 20 hours car trip opens them up to some great family communication andsing a longs until Ryan's past demons resurface. Please Read and Review._

_A/N: This started as a just a drabble as a way for telling the same story written in "The Nightmare" but it quickly took on a life of it own. My family is big on family trips to obscure monuments; those trips always made us closer and gave us a chance to really communicate. I thought it would be appropriate for the Cohens. Most of the things that Sandy insists the family does are in fact taken from my own personal family tradition (photos of sleeping children and in car sing-a-longs included)._

**The Best Family Vacation Ever**

"Luggage?"

"Check."

"Map?"

"Check."

"One beautiful wife as the attractive co-driver?"

"Check," answered Kristen buckling herself into the passenger seat.

"Two teen-age boys ready for adventure?"

"Check," replied both Seth and Ryan from the back seats where they were squeezed in the back of the jeep between the suitcases.

"One family ready for the best vacation Mount Rushmore has ever seen?" Sandy asked as he began pulling out of the drive way.

"Check," chorused Seth, Ryan and Kristen, semi-enthusiastically.

"Great! Let the record show that the Cohen family are locked, loaded and are ready to travel!" Sandy's snapped down the sun visor and pulled out of the gated community.

"I know that this is this family trip is important to you dad, but it really necessary for us to drive all of the way to Rushmore?" Seth asked, "I think I just lost feeling in my left leg, these seats where not built for distance traveling."

"How else are we supposed to see the country if we don't drive?" Sand answered, making eye contact with his son through the rear – view mirror.

"But doing a round trip in four days, Sandy?" Kristen replied, "That might be pushing it a bit, we are barely going to have enough time to stop and see Rushmore."

"Family time is not spent, it's invested. We are making up for all of the time we missed out on this summer." Sandy paused as he pulled on the freeway, "Plus this is Ryan's first family trip, we have to make it count."

"But do we want to set the bar quite so high?" Seth responded.

"How far away is Mount Rushmore, anyways?" asked Ryan as he tried to adjust his seat.

"According to Mapquest it is 20 hour and 45 minutes or roughly 1311.63 miles," answered Kristen holding a print-out of the directions.

"Yeah, buckle in dude we are going to be here for a while." Seth grabbed a bag beside him, "Luckily I prepared a Seth Cohen Starter-Pack: Family Vacation Edition."

"If only all families could be so lucky," Kristen answered as she looked her shoulder to grin at the boys.

"Honey, where did we put the greatest hits tape? And don't tell me that we left it at home, because I made sure that we packed it this year."

Ryan looked up from the window, "Greatest hits tape?"

"You'll catch on Ryan. Okay I get to be the lead, honey you take up the female vocals. Seth, Ryan you are the back up voices. And I wanna hear everyone singing this time."

"No…this isn't what I think it is." Ryan stammered, " 'Cause I really don't sing."

"This is a family trip Ryan, you leave your dignity behind." Seth joked, "Wait it's starting, get ready…_Go grease lighting, burning up the quarter mile…"_


	2. Chapter 2

It was late at night when they pulled into a road side dinner. "I'll fill up the tank, Sandy," Ryan said as he got out of the car, "I need to stretch my legs anyways."

"Sure," called out Sandy, "I'll get a table with Kristen and Seth."

After filling the tank and then parking the jeep, Ryan walked into the diner. It was a simple restaurant filled with locals and sports memorabilia. Making eye contact with the hostess he began to speak, "I'm looking for…"

"Oh you must be their other son!" The pump, short woman gushed leading him to the booth where the Cohen's were sitting, "Your bother sure looks like your father, but boy do you take after your mother. I knew which group you where with from the moment you walked in. " Looking at Kristen, she explained, "I was just saying how much your boy here looks like you, same eyes and everything."

"Thank you," answered Kristen, giving the woman and genuine smile.

"You sure were brave though, havin' two kids so close together."

"We survive," joked Sandy, "But we feel pretty lucky."

After the waitress took their orders the family was quiet for a moment before erupting into laughter. "Well hey, I have always thought I looked like Ryan," smiled Kristen wrapping an arm around his shoulders, "It our great protestant features."

"Gentiles," groaned Seth and Sandy.

Ryan merely laughed and bit into a French fry.

"So dad, do you think that I will be able to call Summer when we get in the motel?"

"Absolutely not, this a family vacation; no girls, no drama just the Cohens and the trusty family jeep." answered Sandy, "We are only going to be gone for three days. You will survive without talking to her for that long."

Ryan squirted ketchup into his plate, "You lived how many years without her even knowing your name? It won't be that bad."

"Thanks for your support there buddy…"

"It has always perplexed me how Summer went from barely knowing your name to making out with you during Thanksgiving," commented Sandy, "We Cohens are charming but that is bringing it to new levels."

Ryan groaned, "You don't even to know that drama story." Then he paused, "A better question would be when you first started liking her?"

"Yeah, honey," asked Kristen, "When did you and Summer connect?"

Seth buried his face in his hands, "Have you no mercy?"

"You said it first, no dignity on a family trip. I sang," commented Ryan.

"Alright, Summer sat in front of me in the sixth grade. The sun used to shine right through the window onto her hair and it was so shiny it looked like she had a hallo. That with her laughter, I thought she was some sort of angel. That was before I realized that she suffered from rage blackouts. There. Happy?"

"We raised him well, didn't we, Kristen." Sandy grinned, "The regular romantic."

"He did better then you," Kristen answered stealing the pickle off of Seth's plate.

"Hey mom that's my meal….and what about Dad?"

"Your father fell in love with me when I called him a self - righteous ass at an art museum."

"It was a blind date, and your mother was in the middle of her art history degree so I was dragged to some horrible modern art museum."

"The art was revolutionarily. And your father spent the entire time mocking the exhibit."

"She called me a self righteous ass and then I asked if I could take her out again."

"So what you are saying is that we Cohens are a suckers for punishment and rage filled women?"

"Pretty much."

Ignoring Sandy, Kristen looked to Ryan, "What about you? When did you fall for Marissa?"

They all turned to Ryan, a bit taken back he laid his fork down, "Ironically it was when I found her passed out drunk in her driveway. It was my first night in Newport and Seth was already asleep in the pool house. I went out for a smoke and I saw her lying there. I carried her back to the pool house and lay her down and I remember just looking at her. She was so fragile like some sort of princess. Completely out of my league but incredible."

Sandy turned to Seth and Ryan, "I think that is a better way of putting it boys. Our women are incredible but completely out of our league."

"I'll toast to that," smiled Kristen.

"To our women!" The boys raised their glasses of water.

It was dark when they pulled into over for gas motel.

"Shhh…" whispered Kristen, "Look Sandy." She pointed the back seat where Ryan and Seth were both fast asleep using various suitcases as pillows.

Sandy turned from where he was driving, "Grab the camera."

"Let me try to find it…" Kristen started going through her purse, "You were right when we were talking to the waitress, it may be a challenge but we are pretty lucky to have our boys."

Taking the camera out of Kristen's hand, Sandy turned towards the boys, "Now let's humiliate them and capture this moment on film," and snapped the picture.


	3. Chapter 3

It was early the next morning when then pulled out of the motel. "Would you like me to drive?" asked Ryan as they loaded their suitcases back into the car. Sandy paused and then threw Ryan the keys, "Kristen, Ryan would like to drive, you want me to take the back seat?"

"No, I'll take it," Kristen replied opening the door, "Seth and I are due for another championship game of Gin Rummy."

"You're going down mom," Seth grinned breaking out the cards, "I have been practicing since the infamous family trip to New York."

Sandy give the directions to as Ryan as they motored down the highway, "You're a good driver…who taught you?"

"A boyfriend of my mom's," Ryan paused as he changed lanes, "She had a lot of boyfriends but Dave, his name was Dave, was a pretty good guy."

"Was he the one that hired you to do construction?"

"Yeah, he was. Hired me on when I was 14."

"Why'd he leave?"

"I don't really remember...probably got tried of my mom's crap."

"Do you miss her?"

"My mom?" The back seat erupted in laughter between Seth and Kristen playing cards. Ryan glanced in the rear- view mirror and smiled and then returned to what Sandy had asked him, "Not too much. You and Kristen are better parents then she ever was. But sometimes I miss the stuff that made her Dawn. Like her singing the shower. Or the smell of cigarettes in house mixed with her cheap perfume." He glanced at Sandy, "It's stupid, I know."

"I haven't talked to my father in over 30 years and I still miss the smell of his cigars."

"Really?" Ryan glanced as Sandy from the corner of his eyes.

"He was not a good person and I am glad he is gone, but that doesn't mean I don't miss him from time to time. It took me a long to be at peace with that but eventually it came and it will for you too. Just give it time."

The drove along in silence for a while longer, just listening to Kristen and Seth play Gin Rummy.

At lunch Seth decided that he wanted to show off his driving skills and Ryan sat in the back with Kristen. "Lights on, sun-visor down, pedals adjusted, yeah I'd say we're ready to hit the road again." Seth pulled out of gas station, "So dad, what are we going to listen to….a lit bit of Grease, perhaps some West Side Story?"

"No, we're going to talk."

"This won't end well."

"Don't tail – gate that guy. I want to know about this two month detention you got."

"We went over this already, it was that or reveal Summer and I wasn't about to do that." Seth signaled to move into the other lane, "And I wasn't tail-gating."

"You were. So all this was about defending a girl?"

"Yeah."

Sandy laughed, "You have been spending too much time with Ryan."

"Or with you." Seth looked over to his dad, "Lesson number one in the Cohen household was always the importance of standing up for the little guy and for the first time in my life I wasn't the little guy that needed to be stood up for."

"You're right. I guess that is why Ryan fits in so well with us. He recognizes a person in need." Sandy paused and then spoke, "You know I've never asked you, if you minded us adopting Ryan, if maybe you felt sidelined at times."

Seth paused for a moment as if choosing his thoughts, "I think pretty much I am lucky person, my best friend is also my brother. Some people get their siblings from storks; I got mine from a juvenile detention centre. I never liked being an only child, with Ryan I have someone to celebrate Christmakkuh with and someone to just chill with." Seth glanced into the back seat, "Sometimes I miss just being with you and mom, Ryan has changed the dynamic. I have to share you guys and sometimes that is weird. But no matter what Ryan is here to stay. Plus he needs us as much as we need him."

Sandy clapped his hand on Seth shoulder, "I love you, son."

"I love you too, dad."

In the back Kristen sat looking out of the window, watching the Midwest sail by. She loved her chatty son and husband but it was also enjoyable just to be in the silence with Ryan. When Seth was born her life had changed in ways that she never could have imagined, she was more then just a daughter, wife or sister, she was a mom. When Ryan had joined the family she hadn't imagined that her very definition of herself would change, but it did. She was more then just a mom, she was a mom - of – two. To this day she couldn't understand how Dawn could have left this boy. She was away for two months and it had ripped her apart. She had missed everything about her boys, from their laughter to the mischief they could get up to.

"I'm proud of you," spoke a soft voice.

Looking away from the window, Kristen turned to Ryan, "You are?"

"You stopped drinking. So many people in my life have told me they would stop. But they never ever have, you did."

Kristen eyes began to water, "I'm so sorry I had to put you through this at all. You deserved better from me."

"Stuff happens. The important thing was that you beat it."

"I was so scared at Suriak. I was terrified that I would let you down again."

"You won't, I know it."

"Thanks Ryan." Kristen paused, "There were things that I said at the intervention…"

"Forget it."

"No, it's just… I want you to know that you will always have a home with us. And that I love you as my son. Nothing in the world would be strong enough to force me to abandon you or force you out. Nothing."

Ryan gave her hand a soft squeeze and then returned to looking out the window. After a bit she gave a shy laugh. "I'm glad to be home, if only to help you get back into school and start preparing for college."

"I am still not so sure about college."

"You should be, Ryan you are a smart kid. You deserve to go to a college and build yourself a great future."

"I told Sandy once that having a dream didn't make you smart, knowing that it won't come true did."

"The only difference between a goal and a dream is a plan. We'll find a balance between dreams and reality."

"I don't know," Ryan looked down at his hands, "I don't know how I would find the money for college…"

"Sandy and I would be more then willing to pay for it, but we will work that out latter," Kristen answered noticing Ryan's hesitation, "First you need to decide what your dream is."

Ryan stared out the window and then at her, as if daring her to say that his dream was silly, "I want to be an architect for the Newport Group. I used to watch you and Caleb work together and even when you were fighting you enjoyed designing and building together, making the Newport Group a family company. Seth doesn't really want to be a part of that but I would. I would like to work with you the way you worked with your dad."

Kristen sniffled, "You really save the words for when it counts don't you?"

Ryan blushed, "I try."


	4. Chapter 4

Sandy smiled to himself as they cruised along in dark highway. Ryan and Kristen where dozing in the back of the jeep, while Sandy drove and Seth slept in the passenger seat.

At first it was just murmuring, "No...no…no…no…stop…please…don't," Sandy glanced back to see Ryan twisting around. It resembled just a bad dream.

"Stop! Don't hurt her. I didn't mean it. Don't. Please. I'm sorry. DON'T."

That woke Kristen and Seth up, stretching Seth turned in his seat to look at Ryan. He was curled up in a ball, as if trying to protect himself, "DON'T HIT HER! STOP! STOP! NO, NOT THAT…PLEASE STOP HITTING ME! I'M SORRY!NO, DAD! NO! I'LL BE GOOD, I PROMISE!PLEASE STOP!"

By the time Sandy was able to pull over to the side of the road; Ryan was twisting all around, fighting attackers that only existed in his dreams. Kristen tried to shake him awake, "Ryan, wake up, it's only a dream…it's only a dream...no one is trying to hurt you…you're okay."

With a start he awoke and stared at the three worried faces looking at him, it was as if for a moment he didn't recognize who they were. "I need some fresh air." Ryan murmured getting out of the car.

"Stay close." Sandy called out as he opened the windows.

For a moment the Cohens were silent, stunned. "Is he going to be okay?" asked Seth, clearly disturbed.

"I don't know," responded Sandy, "You stay here, I'm going to go see how he is."

"Not alone, you're not," Kristen answered already opening the door. "Stay here Seth."

Together they walked out in the darkness, the car lights highlighting a bent figure, retching near some trees. "Go away, I'm fine."

"You're not fine and we're not going away," Sandy bent down beside him, "Just take all of the time you need because we aren't in any rush."

Ryan looked like he was going to protest and then merely nodded, "I think…I think I'm going to throw – up again."

Kristen stroked his hair back, "It's okay honey."

About 5 minutes latter the family returned to the jeep. From a bag near her feet Kristen passed Ryan a bottle of water, "Just drink some water slowly."

Strangely Seth said nothing but merely peered at Ryan. Even though there was only a few months between them sometimes he felt like Ryan was years older then him. It was scary to see the person who he viewed as his older bother so completely crippled by a nightmare. Ryan smiled weakly at him, "I guess I really shouldn't have had that burger at the last truck shop."

"See you really are a Cohen! Making jokes inappropriately soon after a traumatic event," Sandy smiled at him through the rear-view mirror, "You ready to hit the road again, kid?"

Ryan brushed the hair out of his eyes, "Like I said before, I'm fine."

The car returned to silence again but unlike before, where it was a silence of togetherness, now everyone was extremely conscious of each other, yet alone. "We still have another few hours before we hit the hotel near Mount Rushmore." Sandy commented, trying to make conversation.

"Great," replied Seth. And then silence again.

As they rolled along in the darkness it felt like they were the only people on the planet. The highway was nearly deserted and the only light was that of their headlights, illuminating their way through the forest.

When Ryan spoke his voice was harsh, if from emotion or just the strain of being so sick it was hard to tell, "I was never this scared when I was living through it." When no one spoke he continued, "I mean I was scared but I was also angry and frustrated and….numb. It just didn't terrify me the way it does now. Growing up I got hit a lot, by my mom, my dad, the boyfriends, everybody seemed to be out to hurt me. And I could never seen to be able to make them stop, someone was always angry at me no matter how quiet I tried to be or how good I was. I don't remember when I started hitting back but somewhere a long the line I learned to throw a punch, break a nose or two. But in these dreams…I am in Chino again and I am hiding under in cupboard in our kitchen that I used to play in when I am young. My dad is enraged like some monster hitting my mom over and over again and I am terrified that they will find me. And then they do and I am helpless again."

Sandy spoke quietly, "When I told you I missed the smell of my father's cigars, I told you the truth Ryan. But I probably should have explained more. There a lots of things I don't miss, too. I don't miss the way that he used to come home stinking drunk, I don't miss the way that he would hit my mother around, hit me and my brother and sister around. The thing was when he left, unlike the smell of cigars, all of the bruises, and fears and scares didn't leave with him, they stayed. I told you it took me a long time to realize that there were things I missed about him, well getting over the fear that he might come back took just as long."

"Just know that you are part of our family now Ryan, and that past is behind you." Kristen stroked his hair, "You aren't helpless anymore."

"Yeah," piped up Seth, "You are part of our family now and we are not giving you up."

"Ever," finished Sandy, "Now how about some late night sing-a-long, I can't believe we are almost there and haven't completed one rendition of "West Side Story"…."


	5. Chapter 5

It was noon when the finally arrived at Mount Rushmore. Sandy and Kristen where making sandwiches on a picnic table beside the jeep with Seth when a bright blue van pulled up beside them. Two kids bounded out calling that they were going exploring to two tried looking parents. The mom opened up the sliding door of the van and smiled at t Ryan who was trying to clean up the mess of books, music and water bottles that was left in the jeep. "6 hours in a car with those two, I didn't think we'd make it," she joked in a pleasant southern accent.

"Yeah," he smiled back at her, "We drove up from California."

"That's a long haul," She commented, "Did you do the whole movie in the back seat routine?"

"Na…we're big on the sing-a-long."

"Ouch," she fake winced, "Long trip and car karaoke, that's a rough double bill." Nodding her head towards the Sandy and Kristen she asked, "So did you come up with family?"

"Yeah." Ryan answered, "That's my mom and dad and my brother." The Cohen's looked up at each other in silence; Ryan had introduced them as family!

"You look like your mom."

Sandy and Kristen grinned into their sandwiches as Ryan answered, "You're not the first person to have said that."

"I thought it was a tight fit with my two boys and their not yet teenagers, I can imagine your jeep must have been pretty tight."

"We're a close family."

"So a good trip all round for you and you haven't even seen the monument."

Ryan closed the jeep door, "I'd have to say the best family trip ever."

Silently the Cohen gave each other high fives.

Best family trip.

Ever.


End file.
